The Week That Was…

Published 8:00 pm, Monday, June 11, 2007

These are just a few of my thoughts on what has transpired at the local level of sports during the past week.

Sweet Repeat…

…Baseball and softball teams from the same school winning regionals in the same season are somewhat rare in the Thumb.

However, Unionville-Sebewaing Area is beginning to set a trend.

The Patriots repeated as Division 3 champions on Saturday as both teams secured return trips to quarterfinal action.

For the softball team, this is the third quarterfinal in the last four seasons. Unlike most teams which win a regional championship, USAs softball squad was somewhat subdued in its celebration.

Coach Larry Houthoofd said afterward that the coaching staff and the players will be disappointed with anything less than a return trip to Battle Creek. To some, that may seem like overconfidence or cockiness, but Houthoofd said thats the expectations the team has to live up to after winning it all last year.

Personally, I love the attitude.

The Patriots are acting like theyve been here before  and theyll know when its time to celebrate.

USA has plenty of experience left over from last years championship team  and that will no doubt be a huge factor if the team is going to repeat.

Also working in the Patriots favor is the fact that they have strong pitching, timely hitting, solid coaching and an impeccable defense.

The defense may be the most important thing, when it comes to USA.

In softball, a team that can field is usually one that collects a lot of wins.

During the two regional games, the Patriots committed just one error.

On the rise…

…Traditionally, USA has been known as a football or basketball school.

With Saturdays regional title, it may be time to add baseball to that list. Last year, it was kind of expected that the Patriots could make it to the quarterfinals.

They had plenty of experienced seniors, who belonged to the most talented class ever to graduate from USA.

This year, though, the Patriots were very young, with only three seniors on the roster.

However, many of the juniors and even some of the sophomores gained experience from last years post season run.

That experience showed as the Patriots disposed of a couple of pretty good teams in Madison Heights Bishop Foley and No. 5 ranked Mayville en route to the title. USA will have a tall order tonight vs. Saginaw Nouvel, which was ranked No. 2 in the latest AP Poll.

Unlike other sports, though, baseball is very different.

A break here or there, along with some timely hitting  and the best team doesnt always win.

Coming through…

…Last year, when Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Ports soccer team fell to Clawson in the regional semifinal, I remember thinking to myself that 2007 would be the Lakers year.

On Saturday, I was proven right as EPBP came through with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Saginaw Valley Lutheran to capture its first regional title since 2001.

From what Ive read, the score could have been a much more comfortable 2-0, or even 3-0, but a couple of goals were disallowed.

In that end, that may have been exactly what the Lakers need as they prepare for the Division 4 semifinal against 2006 runner-up Ann Arbor Greenhills.

Unlike other teams, EPBP didnt get rattled because of the disallowed goals.

Instead, the players relied on their wealth of experience and superior coaching from Mark Weidman.

In the Thumb, EPBP is the standard that other soccer teams measure themselves by.

So far, the Lakers have been able carry the banner with their eight consecutive district titles  and now, a semifinal appearance.

In a year that has already crowned one state champ, another could be on the horizon.

Whatever the score is against Greenhills, dont expect it to be too high as EPBP has outscored its opponents, 19-0 this post-season.

Known as a offensive power, the Lakers have proven theyre among the best when it comes to playing on the other side of the ball, as well.

Performance of the Week…

…Clutch players always seem to know the right moment to come through. USAs Marissa Lemere is one of those players.

With her team down 2-0 in the regional semifinal to Bishop Foley, Lemere told herself she was going to give her team the lead, with a three-run homer.

Angry after giving up two quick runs, Lemere wanted to do something about it. She got her chance in the third, with two on.

I had two strikes and I told myself it was time for a home run  and then I hit it, Lemere said. After that, I knew what I had to do to get the job done.

With the lead, Lemere settled in as she didnt allow a hit over the final three innings.

In the championship game, she scattered four hits.

For the two games, she was 5-of-7 from the No. 2 spot, with six RBI.

Paul P. Adams is a sports writer for the Huron Daily Tribune and can be reached at (989) 269-6464 ext. 112 or padams@hearstnp.com. The Week That Was appears every Tuesday and Thursday.